LEGISLATORS yesterday accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of appointing incompetent ministers who were incapable of giving lucid responses in Parliament.Norton MP Temba Mliswa demanded that Mnangagwa should be summoned to Parliament to explain why his ministers were incompetent and disrespectful to him by continuing to dodge questions from MPs.
Mliswa said the current crop of ministers were not loyal to
the appointing authority, adding that the late former President Robert Mugabe’s
appointees were loyal to him. He further said Mnangagwa’s ministers were “dogs
that do not bite”.
The issue arose after opposition MPs raised points of order
with the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda every Wednesday over
truancy by ministers during question-and-answer sessions.
“They do not apologise and for a long time we have spoken
about this issue and Parliament is proving to be a toothless bulldog — so what
power do we have because we continue to be disrespected as they do not come to
respond to questions from our constituencies and make government accountable
because people are suffering,” Mliswa said.
“Tomorrow (today) I will move a motion where I will invite
the President to this House to respond about his useless incompetent ministers
who he is loyal to but are not loyal to him.
“Mugabe appointed ministers that were very loyal to him,
but Mnangagwa’s ministers are very disloyal to him. He has appointed dogs that
do not bite.”
Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya added: “In line with the
Speaker’s ruling last week, I will also move a motion that ministers that have
not been coming for the past three weeks be charged with contempt of
Parliament.”
Mutare Central MP Innocent Gonese said it was now time to
draw a line in the sand so that they are charged with contempt of Parliament.
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Tsitsi Gezi ruled
that the MPs can move their motions about ministers on a day that is not a
Wednesday.
This irked the opposition MPs who interjected vociferously
demanding that State Security minister Owen Ncube should avail himself before
the House to be grilled over his allegations that the MDC Alliance was
smuggling arms into the country and preparing to cause disturbances.
“Where is the Minister of State Security? He issued a statement
that he needs to explain to the House that there are people that are smuggling
guns. Why is it that those people are not being arrested? He must come to
explain,” shouted Mliswa.
Zengeza West MP Job Sikhala added: “We are tired of being
accused and our names being soiled. He must come and explain.”The interjections
subsided after Gezi threatened to throw Sikhala out of the House.
When Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda entered
the House, Mliswa demanded that a Privileges Committee be set up to investigate
the ministers’ contempt, insubordination and misconduct.
“You need to move a proper motion in that respect and also
identify the ministers. I am equally disappointed that even the ministers that
had attended have now disappeared,” Mudenda said.
Meanwhile, Finance deputy minister Clemence Chiduwa was
yesterday quizzed by MPs over the COVID-19 social assistance packages.
Chiduwa said of the $18,2 billion COVID-19 recovery
package, $6,1 billion was allocated towards the recovery of agriculture, $3,1
billion as working capital for industry, among other allocations that $3,2
billion was allocated for winter wheat production. Newsday
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